


Shieldmaiden of Helm’s Deep

by Rosa_Cotton



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Battle of the Hornburg | Battle of Helm's Deep, Drama, Gen, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27634592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosa_Cotton/pseuds/Rosa_Cotton
Summary: Eowyn is forced to stay in the caves during the battle of Helm's Deep. She has to lead the women and children to safety. But danger is coming to them and Eowyn discovers she will need to use her sword. Movieverse, AU.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. A Cage

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: _The Lord of the Rings_ , all characters, places, and related terms are the sole property of J. R. R. Tolkien's estate and New Line Cinema.

The women and young children huddle together, seeking comfort and warmth from each other. Many faces were stained with tears on their cheeks, a great pain in their hearts from having a loved one torn from their arms. The darkness surrounds the refugees like an early morning fog, the only light coming from a few torches that hang on the walls, like rays of the sun appearing on the horizon. It is cold and damp in the huge caverns.

The noise of men rushing above them preparing for battle long ago ceased. Now there is silence in caves, except for the whimpering of children. Suddenly everyone stops breathing and moving. Women tilt their heads, ears straining to hear. The caves are silent as a tomb.

A noise reaches the refugees. It sounds like a low chanting that builds in volume until the caves rumble from it. Children cry out. Some plug their ears, trying to keep the noise at bay. The chant ceases. All tense, waiting, though they do not know for what.

A roar is heard, followed by shouts and screams, from both man and orc. The ground above them trembles from pounding of feet. Dirt and gravel rains down from the ceiling, causing those looking up to lower their heads.

Eowyn sits with her back against the doors that seals them in the caves, also listening. Her right hand rests on her sword which sits on her lap. Her other hand lies on a battered basket with a cloth covering it.

Her heart goes out to these women, but she cannot comprehend their feeling of loss. She herself has no husband or child save her sword.

She stares blankly at a wall. Her eyes are hard, her jaw firmly set, her cheeks dry; but her eyes are filled with unshed tears. Her face is full of bitterness and frustration; she slams her fist against the doors, hard. Her eyes close, a sigh of frustration escapes from her lips.

A battle goes on above them. A battle that she should be taking part in with her fellow people.

"So it begins," she whispers. She moves her hand from the basket and checks for the dagger hidden in the folds of her dress. It is there.

~~~ 

_Eowyn swiftly enters her room and firmly shuts the door behind her. She leans against the door and surveys the room for a moment. It is small, with an old bed in a corner and a small table. Her trunk sits across from the bed against a cold stone wall. A little window offers a way for sunlight to creep in._

_Eowyn crosses the room and puts a basket on the table. She looks at the half dozen daggers that rest in the basket. They may be of use tonight._

_She turns away and goes to her trunk. Opening it, she retrieves her sword which lies on top of one of her dresses. After closing the trunk, she unsheathes the sword and examines it closely. She runs her hand along the flat of the blade. A memory lightly brushes against her mind. The corners of her mouth turn up slightly; her eyes are fill with sadness._

_"My lady?" a voice is heard on the other side of the door, followed by a polite knock._

_Eowyn quickly sheathes her sword._

_"One moment, please," she says._

_She places her sword on her bed and then notices the basket. She opens the trunk and takes out a white sash. She places in on the basket, carefully makes sure that the daggers are hidden from view._

_She walks to the door, willing her heart to stop racing._

_"Who is it?" she asks._

_"Hama, my lady," comes the answer._

_Eowyn opens the door and looks questioningly at the man._

_"The king desires for you to help see the women and children to the caves," Hama says._

_Eowyn nods to him and gives him leave to go. She enters her room again and takes a dagger from under her pillow and tucks it into the folds of her dress. She then leaves the room._

_Walking through the fortress, watching the preparations for the war, Eowyn directs women and children to the caves. Both men and women weep as they part, not knowing if they will meet again. Boys, no more than seven years old, are pulled from their mothers' arms to fight that night. The scene is heart-wrenching._

_Eowyn pauses in her wandering to lift her eyes see Théoden, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas overlooking the fortress from the Keep. She jolts slightly when she discovers Aragorn staring down at her. She gives him a stiff nod in acknowledgment and turns back to her task._

_She has not spoken to Lord Aragorn since his arrival at Helm's Deep earlier that day. She was uncertain what to do. She had seen him come. She had seen Legolas return the Evenstar to him. She had seen the relief that shone in his face at having it back. He had not noticed her there, beaming with happiness at his return, yet crying with sadness because what she longed for could never be. She had gotten her hopes up only to have them crash down when he sadly told her about his love – for an elf. What chance did she have? She could not yet make herself face him._

_Eowyn shakes thoughts of Aragorn out of her mind and turns back to the scene about her. Her heart goes out to her people. They are tired, confused, and full of despair, without hope. The coming war seems hopeless. How many will survive the night? she wonders._

_She is about to go back to her room when a voice stops her._

_"My lady?"_

_"Hama," Eowyn says in greeting._

_"I am to escort you to the caves, by order of the king."_

_Fire flashes in Eowyn's eyes. "Am I to idly stay with the women while men and children lose their lives?" Her voice is cold as ice._

_"For your own safety, my lady –"_

_"I do not need protection. I am a shieldmaiden of Rohan. I can fight! I should help my people. What use is a sword if I cannot wield it?" She ignores the curious stares of people watching._

_"I do not doubt that you can fight, my lady. But you need to stay with the women. They are frightened. Their husbands and sons have been taken from them. They need you to lead them, give them strength," Hama tries to reason. "Aragorn will lead the men of Rohan. The women of Rohan need your help."_

_Eowyn turns from Hama and stares at the floor. She does not belong in the caves. She can fight. She is not helpless._

_But then the dream comes back to her. Women screaming. Children crying. They were defenseless against an unknown enemy. "The women of Rohan need your help." Eowyn turns the words over in her head. She sighs. This is not the first time she has been kept from fighting. And it will not be the last._

_She turns back to Hama; the fight has gone out of her, but her eyes are still hard. "I must get some things from my room first," she states._

_Hama nods meekly._

_Eowyn turns and walks off, Hama follows. She ignores the looks from the men. Quickly reaching her room, Eowyn picks up her sword from the bed and the basket from the table. Hama gives her a curious look; she returns it with a challenge. He lowers his eyes._

_"If it is what the king commands," she says shortly and allows the man to lead her to the caves._

_She is the last to enter. Her gaze wanders over the hopeless faces. Her back straightens. She will stay; she has no other choice._

_The doors behind her slam shut. Now they can only wait._


	2. Making Acquaintances

The battle rages on above the women and children in the caves. Some of Eowyn's bitterness seems to slide off her shoulders as she walks among the women, offering what little comfort and assurance she can. Most of the women sit against the walls, holding their children close, trying to comfort them. Some tend to those who are not well and weak from the long journey to the fortress, trying to make them comfortable.

Eowyn comes to a small group of eight women; all eyes are downcast in fear, listening. Most of them look young, two or three years over twenty. Two of them seem to be of middle age. Blond, brown, black, and red hair tumbles down their backs.

"What are your names?" Eowyn asks them.

They all look up at her with their blue, green, brown, grey, and hazel eyes full of surprise and murmur, "My Lady."

"I am Mowen," says the black-haired woman, her grey eyes swimming with tears.

"Laesien."

Another looks at Eowyn and says, "Ethoethien."

"Larewen."

"Tralede."

"Neisa," shyly answers another girl.

"Thathien."

"And I'm Freda," says the last woman. Her hands rest lightly on her large belly.

Eowyn gives them a small smile.

"My Lady," says Mowen. Eowyn meets her grey eyes and nods for her to continue. "Do you think the fortress will hold?"

Eowyn chooses her words carefully. "I do not know. We have to hope that we will survive the night. But there is the possibility that the fortress would fall." She thought back to when Aragorn had come to Helm's Deep, saying that an army of ten thousand would reach them by nightfall. They did not have half as many men fighting on the fortress walls as they spoke. It seems hopeless – they surely will not hold through the night.

"What will we do if the fortress falls?" Neisa asks, her blue eyes wide.

"We would have to take the secret passage that would lead us to the mountains," Eowyn answers, a slight edge to her voice. She herself will not use the pass if the need comes. She will not abandon her king and uncle. She as a shieldmaiden will not leave him.

"You do not desire to leave if it comes down to it," Thathien observes.

Eowyn in surprise meets Thathien's gaze. "Yes," she answers quietly, "I would stay. But I would send the others to take the passage. I would rather fall with my king."

Tralede takes one of her hands. "We would need you to lead us to the mountains. We could not make it on our own. You give us courage to hold on to what hope remains."

Eowyn is speechless and is only able to gaze at Tralede in amazement.

"She's right," Larewen says. "You are a shieldmaiden of Rohan. But you being with us help us to keep holding our heads up. We need you."

Eowyn sighs. "Thank you for believing in me, even though I do not." She holds each of their gazes one by one.

"We are at your service, if we may be of use," Ethoethien says. The others quickly nod their assent.

Eowyn gives them a genuine smile. "Thank you," she says. She makes to move on, and then she pauses and looks at Freda. "How long?"

Freda smiles. "Less than two months," she answers.

Eowyn holds a little child in her lap. His mother once again thanks her for her help before turning her attention back to tending an old woman. Eowyn gazes at the sleeping child's face. It seems amazing to her that the child can sleep peacefully despite the noise above them. She leans against the wall and closes her eyes.

BOOM!


	3. Calming and Preparations

The explosion is deafening. Dirt showers down on the refugees. The ground shakes under them. Children cry out in terror. Women cling to each other.

Eowyn hands the frightened child to his mother and attempts to stand. She leans against the trembling wall for balance.

She wonders what happened.

"We all are going to die!" a woman's scream interrupts Eowyn's thoughts.

She part walks, part stumbles to the woman as the cavern settles. She places her hands on the woman's shoulders.

"Please, do not panic! We have a chance to survive," Eowyn tries to calm the woman.

"We will die, child! We are trapped!"

Other women and children watch them, eyes wide.

Eowyn cringes. She has not been called a "child" for a long while. She shakes the woman gently. "We are not trapped!"

The woman meets her firm gaze, tries to register her words.

"We are not trapped," Eowyn repeats, more gently. "There is a way of escape if it comes down to it. There is a secret passage that would lead us into the mountains. Someone will warn us if all seems lost."

She watches as the woman's eyes seem to clear.

She adds, "I do not think the fortress is lost yet. It sounds like they are still fighting."

Straining their ears, they can make out the faint clashing of blade against blade.

The woman draws a deep breath. Eowyn lets go of her shoulders and steps back. She gazes reassuringly at the woman and goes back to sit in front of the doors.

Will the fighting never end? It seems like ages have passed. How many are dead? Does the king still live? Gimli? Legolas? Lord Aragorn?

_Please_ , Eowyn silently prays to the Valar. _Keep those dear to me safe. Théoden, Eomer, Aragorn. Please bring them back to me._

If she leads the refugees through the passage, it will be the second time that she has led them to safety – the second time she will abandon those she loves.

She straps her sword around her waist and double-checks the basket. She listens intently at the noise above them. And waits.


	4. Memories and Fleeing

_A small, sad smile is on Eowyn's lips as she leads her and Aragorn's horses. The sky is clear. A refreshing breeze plays on her face and through her hair. The day is lovely. But the day does not reflect on all the weary people. They have fled their homes and are making for the refuge Helm's Deep – they will be safe there. They had to leave many of their belongings behind._

_The sunshine does not lift Eowyn's spirit. She rebukes herself for these feelings of despair and heartbreak. She is stronger than this. She is a fighter. But she is tempted to drown in these feelings._

_**He is in love with an elf** , she thinks to herself. She remembers the jewel he wore round his throat. It was of pure silver with a small diamond. Never had she seen a jewel that was simple yet breathtakingly beautiful at the same time. It was a symbol of their bonding together._

_What was she like, the elf maiden that possessed his heart? Was she beautiful? She must be, more so than the jewel. She must be worthy of his love. Eowyn sighs. What chance can she have with Aragorn? She cannot compare with an elf._

_Eowyn squares her shoulders. A determined frown comes over her face. She will try – no, she **will** – forget what she feels for the ranger. She will forget how she had longed to stay forever in his arms when he held her when they first met. She will forget the shock that went through her when she looked into his eyes for the first time. She will forget how he seemed to see right into her soul when she had shown him she had more than "some" skill with the sword. She will forget the way he smiled and stared at her the other day. She will forget…_

_"Wargs! We're under attack!" The cry is echoed and spreads like wildfire. Panic breaks out._

_Aragorn rushes towards Eowyn. She drops the reins of his horse and steps aside, allowing him to jump on. She does so with her gaze on the ground, the frown still on her face. Aragorn notices and half pauses before jumping onto his steed; Eowyn does not notice._

_"Eowyn!"_

_She turns and watches Théoden gallop up to her. His eyes are full of worry, his hair in his face._

_"You must lead the people to Helm's Deep," he says._

_"I can fight!" Eowyn protests strongly._

_"No!" he snaps. He looks down at her. "You must do this, for me."_

_Eowyn holds his gaze stubbornly for a second, then turns away and rushes to the women._

_"Stick together!" she calls over the sound of pounding hoofs. "Make for the lower ground!"_

_She turns and watches the men galloping away to meet the wargs. She finds Aragorn, who holds her gaze for a moment. She cannot read his expression. Her face is full of wishful-ness. She should be riding to meet the attack, too. She stands still as a statue, unmindful of the women and children running past her. Her hair flies about her as she watches Aragorn turns his horse and rides off. Eowyn stays still for a second more, then directs the others, bitterness in her eyes._

_Being inside the fortress of Helm's Deep is a welcoming relief to the tired women. Many graciously thank Eowyn for her leading them to the fortress. Eowyn acknowledges them half-heartedly. She is anxious for those who fought._

_The fortress is bustling with activity as the men arrive. Eowyn quickly surveys them and is dismayed to see so few have returned. Women rush to the men, searching for their loved ones. There are tears of joy and sorrow for those returned and those lost. Eowyn catches Théoden's eye and he approaches her._

_"We are victorious, all have been slain. But we have lost many for their courage," he says, as though having read her thoughts._

_Her eyes sweep over the tired and wounded men more carefully and slowly. She sees the elf, Legolas, walk. His head downcast, sorrow in his every step._

_"My lady."_

_Eowyn turns toward the voice. Gimli, the dwarf, bows his head in respect. She feels her heart sink. She finds herself blinking back tears as she meets eyes, which are full of sadness._

_“Lord Aragorn – where is he?” she asks in a low voice._

_She sees that Gimli is also trying to keep tears from falling._

_"I am sorry," he says, his voice shaky. "He fell."_

~~~

Eowyn draws a shaky breath. _Will Aragorn fall for good this time?_ she wonders. _Will we all fall?_

The battle rages on above them. Another noise, a noise like banging, faintly reaches her ears.

"My lady!" she barely hears the voice.

She jumps up and presses her ear against the doors. "Yes?!"

"You are to take the women and children to the mountains," Hama's voice floats through the thick doors.

"Where is the king?" Eowyn demands.

"He commands you to take the passage!" Hama's voice is becoming more urgent.

"But –"

"Please, lady! The king lives as of yet. The fortress will not hold much longer. He wants you to take them to safety."

Eowyn bits back the remark on the tip of her tongue. They are to flee.

"I will do as the king wishes. Give him my love," her voice shakes.

"Yes, my lady. May the Valar protect you," Hama says.

"And you," Eowyn answers and turns from the door.

Mowen, Laesien, Neisa, Tralede, Larewen, Ethoethien, Freda, and Thathien rush to her.

"Get them all up. Take all that can be carried of those few baskets of food, for we will need them," Eowyn gestures to some baskets of tomatoes and apples against a wall. "Threaten those who refuse to go. Carry those who are too weak. And get the torches."

The women nod and rush to do as Eowyn instructed. She stops Freda.

"Hold on to this," she says, handing the girl the battered basket. Freda's eyebrows rise in puzzlement at the weight of the basket. She ignores her inquiring her look and goes to Mowen.

"I am going to scout ahead. Can you be among the last to leave?"

Mowen understands. "Yes, though I have no weapon if the need arises for one."

"Here." Eowyn hands her dagger to her. She goes to the baskets that are filled with food and pushes them aside. She then pushes against the stone and a door slowly swings open.

She looks at the women and sees that nearly all are to their feet. She then goes through the doorway and into the dark passage.


End file.
